Carrot Cake with Marmalade Cream Cheese Frost
Submitted by hwinter
Two-layer carrot cake bursting with orange marmalade, toasted walnuts, and grated carrots, finished with a citrus cream cheese frosting and a stunning lattice top.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsIf you’ve been searching for a carrot cake that actually stands out at the dessert table, this is it.
Orange marmalade and fresh orange juice weave bright citrus flavor through every layer. Grated carrots and toasted walnuts bring the earthy, nutty backbone you expect, but that marmalade twist? That’s what people will ask about.
The frosting pulls the same trick. Cream cheese whipped with butter, powdered sugar, more marmalade, and orange zest creates something silky and tangy with a gorgeous citrus punch.
Then comes the showpiece. A piped lattice on top, with alternating rows of marmalade and chopped walnuts pressed into the sides. It looks like it came from a bakery, but you made it in your own kitchen.
Chef Tips
- Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. It deepens the flavor significantly.
- Grate your carrots on the large holes. Finely grated carrots disappear too much, and you want to see and taste them.
- This cake holds up beautifully for two days under a cake dome in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
- If the frosting feels too soft to pipe, chill it for 20 minutes until it firms up
Ingredients
Directions
FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bols. Beat eggs, oil, sugars, marmalade and juice in large bowl until blended. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in carrots and nuts. Divide batter between cake pans. Bake until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks; cool 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks; cool completely.
FOR FROSTING: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add ¾ cup marmalade, butter and orange peel and beat just until smooth. If necessary, cover and chill until firm enough tospread.
Place 1 cake on plate. Spread with ¼ cup marmalade. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with second cake. Spoon 2 cups frosting into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Spread remaining frosting smoothly over top and sides of cake.
Pipe frosting in 4 parallel lines atop cake in opposite direction, forming lattice. Press 1 cup nuts onto sides of cake. Pipe ring of frosting around top edge of cake. Stir ¼ cup marmalade to loosen; spoon some into 1 row of lattice diamonds. Spoon some remaining nuts into next row of diamonds. Repeat, alternating marmalade and nuts, filling rows completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.)
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